Tweets,

Ruth is right. The Seattle CBC count this year was 18 Merlins. The highest previous count was 17 in 2000; the 10-year average (1992-2001) is 8.3; the 30-year average (1972-2001) is 5.7.

Gene.

----- Original Message -----
From: Ruth Taylor
To: rnbuffle at yahoo.com ; tweeters at u.washington.edu
Sent: Saturday, February 01, 2003 6:42 PM
Subject: Re: Merlin Question


I think the Seattle CBC had a record count this year - don't know about other counts in Western Washington - maybe on the WOS website.
This is my 3rd winter in Ballard, and I have seen one (not the same birds) in my immediate neighborhood every year. This year has been the best, because one uses the Doug-fir in my backyard as a regular hunting/observation post - I see it almost every weekend. I watched it chase off another merlin a few weeks back.

Ruth Taylor
Seattle/Ballard
rutht at seanet.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Rolan Nelson <rnbuffle at yahoo.com>
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Date: Saturday, February 01, 2003 2:42 PM
Subject: Merlin Question


Hi Tweets,

I'm wondering if folks are seeing more Merlins around lately, or am I just getting luckier? I'm not usually looking specifically for them, so I normally go months between sightings. Yesterday I had one at the top of a fir tree near Madigan on Ft. Lewis. Today I spotted one high up in a large Alder at the Theler Wetlands in Belfair. Two Merlins in two days!

-Rolan



Rolan Nelson
Burley, WA
rnbuffle at yahoo.com




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